Protecting against long term harm

   What can be done?

Different professionals will be in a position to affect different aspects of a child’s life and the particular ways teachers, primary care professionals and social workers can promote ways of assisting children affected by a problem drinking parent are considered in the specific areas of the toolkit for these groups. However this section outlines the general areas that can be worked on to help protect against long term harm.

Firstly, we can work on the RISK factors. All the main areas which lead to major negative impact are prime areas for intervention with families where one parent drinks (or uses drugs) problematically, even if the drinking itself is not amenable to change:

• family disharmony, and within this
• family violence,
• parental conflict,
• parental separation and loss,
• inconsistent and ambivalent parenting

Secondly, the RESILIENCE factors: if we understand some of the elements which make up resilience in children, again we can work with families to develop these characteristics. We can work with:

• the other parent , enabling them to provide a stable environment and give the time and attention which so many children require;
• the parental relationship , enabling parents to retain their cohesive relationship and present a united and caring front to the children;
• the family relationship , ensuring that family relationships, family affection, and family activities are maintained;
• other adult figures outside the nuclear family , ensuring that there is at least someone who can provide the necessary stabilising influence; and
• the child him or herself, by

  • helping to maintain the positive family rituals within the family
  • helping to remove him or herself from the disruptive behaviour of the problem drinker
  • helping the child to disengage from the disruptive elements of family life and engage with stabilising others outside the family, or with stabilising activities (school, clubs, sports, culture, religion) within which the child can develop a sense of self and self-esteem.